A Family Guide To Keeping Chickens (5 page)

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that chickens are more intelligent than previously supposed – they can even be trained – and a new generation of chicken lovers are discovering an intriguing, often underestimated creature.

Although you won’t find chickens scratching complex mathematical equations in the dust, it soon becomes obvious that a flock consists of a variety of individuals living in an organized society. They have an early warning system to alert them to danger, communicate in a variety of different tones and display a structure to their daily lives. We have lost so much of our own instinctive behaviour that watching chickens can be a humbling experience.

A flock isn’t immediately created when a group of chickens are put together. First they must sort out their hierarchy.

There’s more going on in here than you’d think!

Establishing the Pecking Order

We even use the phrase ‘pecking order’ about ourselves, as in ‘Now he’s had a pay rise, he’s definitely top of the pecking order’.

This organization is fundamental to the social structure and safety of the flock. There will be a clear line of succession.

First comes the chief hen (although if you have a cockerel, he will automatically take the principal role – chickens don’t do political correctness). The chief hen will be first to eat and drink, seeing off any challenges with a swift, sharp peck. She will sleep on the highest perch, take precedence in the nest-box and enjoy the best dust-bath. With power comes responsibility and she will warn the others of danger, even going into battle on their behalf.

There will be a second hen and a third, and so on. The hen at the bottom of the pecking order will be last to eat, and roost on the lowest perch. If she steps out of line, there will be several senior hens to put her in her place!

Some chickens settle their pecking order without too much trouble but there can be some spectacular fights in a new flock before the leaders are established.

Understanding the significance of the pecking order helps in managing chickens, as well as making decisions about housing and breeds.

Once the pecking order has been resolved, peace will reign until the set-up of the flock is changed. If a bird has to be removed temporarily, she may lose her place and have to regain it. A sick bird will be picked on and may be expelled from the flock, which is why chickens don’t show ill-health easily.

Those lower down the pecking order sometimes grasp an opportunity to move up a place – perhaps if a higher bird is off-colour. This entails a challenge, which may or may not result in a change to the set-up.

Introducing new birds to an existing flock will precipitate a reshuffle with the accompanying fights for dominance.

Once the chickens have sorted out their hierarchy, they will settle down to their favourite activity.

No mistaking who’s boss – the pecking order provides social structure and security

Scratching and Foraging

Put chickens in a wooded area and you will immediately see their jungle fowl ancestry. Turning over leaves to search for insects and grubs keeps them happily occupied all day. If a wood isn’t available, they will easily adapt to flowerbeds, gravel or lawn. They love to eat grass too – access to grass will provide eggs with the prized deep-yellow yolks.

Some breeds are particularly enthusiastic foragers and given enough space will almost feed themselves. These birds are great for free-ranging, but preferably not in immaculate gardens.

If grass is in short supply chickens will take whatever green stuff is available. A small garden can quickly look as if a plague of biblical proportions has passed through.

This doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your garden to keep chickens happy. They can be contained in a static or movable run but will need some diversions to keep them from becoming bored.

When not eating, chickens need to spend time on their beauty routines – preening and dust-bathing are vital to their well-being.

Turning over leaves to search for food is a favourite occupation

The Importance of Dust-Bathing

While garden birds enjoy splashing in a bird-bath, chickens use dust to cleanse themselves and help control parasites. After a good long soak in a dust-bath, they spend hours preening their feathers until they are ready to again join the hen party.

If your chickens are confined to a run, you should provide a dust-bath (see
Chapter 5
). Free-range birds will find a patch of dry soil and make their own bath – it’s a remarkable process to watch.

The chicken starts by loosening soil with its beak and feet. A chickensized dip appears, becoming deeper as the bird wriggles down into it. Clouds of dust fly up as the chicken kicks its legs and shakes soil through its wings. After such a burst of activity, there’s a blissful rest (you’ll feel like providing a book and candles), with just the occasional shuffle to tip more dust into the feathers.

Several chickens may make dust-baths next to each other or they might make one big bath, like a feathery rugby team.

In the garden, these home improvements may not find favour with the head gardener. Supplying the chickens with a dust-bath can help avoid damage to the flowerbeds or lawn – although they may ignore it and do their own thing.